Coin chute

ABSTRACT

Apparatus to receive wrapped rolls of coins and automatically transfer such rolls to another coin handling apparatus which is located at an angle to the initial coin roll receiving apparatus. Basically, the apparatus includes a gate member which prevents the rolls of coins from being transferred onto the other coin handling apparatus in a skew position.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Richard D. Wylie 114 Anthony St.. Gaffney, S.C. 29340 [21] Appl. No. 734,054 [22] Filed June 3, 1968 [45] Patented Mar. 30, 1971 [54] COIN Cl-IUTE 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 198/26 [51] Int. Cl 865g 47/04 [50] Field olSearch 193/32, (Coins); 1 98/4374,20,26, 183,33 (R4); 133/1 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,078,977 2/1963 Heinrich 193/32X 945,658 1/1910 Wight (198/26UX) 982,092 1/1911 Robinson 198/59X Primary Examiner-Harvey C. l-lornsby Assistant ExaminerW. Scott Carson Attorneys-Norman C. Armitage and H. William Petry ABSTRACT: Apparatus to receive wrapped rolls of coins and automatically transfer such rolls to another coin handling apparatus which is located at an angle to the initial coin roll receiving apparatus. Basically, the apparatus includes a gate member which prevents the rolls of coins from being transferred onto the other coin handling apparatus in a skew position.

Patentgd March 30,1971 3,512,491

so so T as I ,Llo

INVENTOR. RICHARD D. WYLIE ATTORNEY COIN CIIUTE Currently, a great deal of manual manipulation is employed in the handling of coins wrapped in rolls. As is well known, whenever manual operation is employed the cost of such operation is usually higher and the chances of error are greater. Furthermore, such manual operation is often tedious and boring and the operators tendto be indifferent to their job.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an ap paratus to automate one phase of the coin handling operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive coin handling apparatus to handle rolls of coins by receiving them in one direction and automatically transferring them to another apparatus located in a different plane.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become clearly apparent as the specification proceeds to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the new and improved coin chute; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the new and improved coin chute shown in FIG. 1.

Looking now to the drawings, the numeral represents a roll of coins wrapped in a shrink film bag. In the preferred form of the invention the transfer chute 12 is located-between a coin packaging machine represented by a coin chute l4 and a conveyor 16 which supplies rolls of coins It) to a shrink oven (not shown) to shrink the heat shrinkable film tightly around the coins to provide a compact roll of wrapped coins.

The conveyor 16 consists of a plurality of rollers 18 spaced from one another by suitable chain linkage 20 and driven by sprockets in engagement therewith. The rollers 18 are rotatably mounted in the linkage 20 but, in the position shown in FIG. 1 where they receive the coins, the rolls do not rotate since they are not in contact with a surface to cause rotation thereof. The rolls from the chute 12 are to be dropped into the spaces between the rollers 18 so that as the rolls approach the shrink oven (not shown) the rotation of the rollers 18 will cause rotation of the coin packages 10 to provide for uniform shrinkage of the film material around the coins.

The chute 12 is suitably supported in position under the coin chute 14 from the coin machine by a support member 22 bolted or otherwise secured to the frame 24 of the coin machine. The upper portion of the chute consists of two sidewalls 26 and 28 flared at 30 to guide misaligned rolls 10 from the chute l4 and a backwall 32 to form a U-shaped upper chute portion. Secured by screws 34 or other suitable means is a deflector 36 of spring steel or other material which projects into the fall path of the rolls 10 to maintain the rolls in the vertical position as they drop in the chute 12.

The upper portion of the chute 12 curves into a lower closed discharge box 38 which has adischarge door 40 hinged thereto. The discharge box 38 is elongated in the axial direction of the rollers 18 and has a bottom 42 which slopes slightly downward toward the rollers 18 to cause the coin rolls [0 to have an impetus in the direction of the conveyor 16. It is normally not possible to coordinate the drop of the coil rolls 10 with the position of the conveyor so that each roll 10 will fall directly into a space between theconveyor rollers 18. As shown in FIG. 1 the coin roll 10 may exit from the discharge box 38 at the time one of the rollers 18 is thereunder. To prevent the roll 10, under such circumstances, from being placed across the top of two of the rollers 18 or placed in a skewed position, the pivotally mounted door 410 is employed to hold the coin roll 10 in substantial axial alignment with the rollers 18 until the conveyor moves in the direction indicated and a space between the rollers 18 is moved under the coin roll 10 and the coin roll 10 drops therein.

The coin packaging machine, not shown, flat presses and seals one portion of a tube of heat shrinkable film material. Then a predetermined number of coins is dropped into this tube and the tube is again flat pressed and sealed above the coins. Then this sealed package or roll of coins It) is served from the tube of material and delivered to the chute 12 from chute 14. As the roll of coins 10 drops vertically down the chute 12 the spring steel deflector 36 contacts the roll of coins It) to maintain it in a substantially vertical position. The roll of coins then slides into the discharge box 38 from whence, due to the inclined floor 42, it tends to roll downward and outward in a direction perpendicular to thedirection of drop against the weight of the pivoted member 40. If a space between conveyor rollers 18 is thereunder the roll of coins will drop into such space contacting both rollers 18 on opposite sides of the space. If no such space is available the pivoted member 40 will act, as hereinbefore explained, to hold the roll of coins atop one of the rollers 18 until a space appears below to accommodate the roll of coins.

The herein disclosed apparatus provides a simple and inexpensive system to automatically receive a roll of coins from one source and transfer such roll of coins to another source which extends in a different direction without the use of manual labor during the transfer.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is contemplated that many changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention and I desire to be limited only by the claims.

I claim:

1. A coin handling apparatus comprising: a coin chute having at least one open side, means supporting said coin chute in a substantially vertical position, means supplying a roll of coins to said chute in a substantially vertical position, a spring steel deflector mounted on one side of said chute and projecting into said one open side in the upper portion of said chute to maintain the rolls of coins in a substantially vertical position, a coin receiving roller conveyor mounted below said coin chute, said conveyor having a plurality of rollers connected thereto with each of said rollers'being spaced from the next adjacent rollers to provide spaces therebetween and pivoted means connected to the bottom of said chute to hold coins on top of said roller conveyor until said roller conveyor is moved to a position where one of said spaces appears below said roll of coins.

537 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 572, 491 Dated March 30. 1971 Inventor(s) Richard D, Wylie It is certified that error appear. in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

I- On the front page 7 31Aesignee Deering Milliken Research Corporation, a Corporation of South Carolina-- should be inserted between "[45] Patented March 30, 1971" and the title.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of July 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, J'R. Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A coin handling apparatus comprising: a coin chute having at least one open side, means supporting said coin chute in a substantially vertical position, means supplying a roll of coins to said chute in a substantially vertical position, a spring steel deflector mounted on one side of said chute and projecting into said one open side in the upper portion of said chute to maintain the rolls of coins in a substantially vertical position, a coin receiving roller conveyor mounted below said coin chute, said conveyor having a plurality of rollers connected thereto with each of said rollers being spaced from the next adjacent rollers to provide spaces therebetween and pivoted means connected to the bottom of said chute to hold coins on top of said roller conveyor until said roller conveyor is moved to a position where one of said spaces appears below said roll of coins. 